Barbara Bush’s Literacy Foundation to Rename and Return to Its Original Mission
The former first lady’s literacy work will operate under the George & Barbara Bush Foundation.
Earlier this month, Dorothy Bush Koch, honorary chair, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy (BBFFL) and board member of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, announced the BBFFL will return to its original mission and operate primarily as a national grantmaking organization. As a result, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy will soon evolve into the Barbara Bush Fund for Family Literacy at the George & Barbara Bush Foundation.
Rather than operating its own family literacy programs, the Fund will amplify its impact by investing in existing well-respected national and community-based organizations.
“This transition represents a return to the roots of Mom’s literacy work: providing direct support to reach the families and communities most in need,” Koch said in a statement. “Mom chose her beloved cause of literacy based on a simple, but powerful belief: ‘If more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that plague our nation and our society.’”
The George & Barbara Bush Foundation will serve as a strategic partner along with Texas A&M University as its academic partner and a network of national family literacy experts who will continue advancing the former first lady’s legacy of literacy. A more formal public announcement is slated for later this fall.
Calendar
Sept. 18, 2025
Third Thursday Wine & Cheese: First Ladies & Their Iconic Hats
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a wine and cheese event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. EDT on Sept. 18, 2025, during a fascinating evening exploring the iconic hats worn by first ladies throughout history. Read more
Sept. 22, 2025
Cooking with the First Ladies: Eliza Johnson
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents “Cooking with the First Ladies” with Sarah Morgan on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 7 p.m. ET for a virtual cooking experience. Morgan will take participants on a culinary journey through history exploring the flavors of Eliza Johnson, wife of President Andrew Johnson. What to Expect:
A step-by-step demonstration of a historical recipe associated with Eliza Johnson.
A deep dive into the history and culinary traditions of the time.
Fun and interactive discussion on the role of First Ladies and their influence on American cuisine.
Oct. 10, 2025
Legacy Lecture “Martha Washington: Women and Music in Early America”
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents the virtual Legacy Lecture “Martha Washington: Women and Music in Early America.” Music was more than entertainment in 18th-century America—it was a reflection of class, gender, and culture. As a member of the upper class, Martha Washington provides an extraordinary lens through which the role of women in early American musical life can be examined.
Led by Dr. David Hildebrand, a noted music historian and Peabody Conservatory instructor, this lecture shines a light on the instruments women were “allowed” to play, the venues where they performed, and the deep personal connections Martha Washington and her family had to music. Attendees will hear about:
Mrs. Washington’s music book, The Bull-Finch
Patsy and Nelly Custis’s musical talents
A stunning grand harpsichord at Mount Vernon
Live and recorded examples of period music
Oct. 11, 2025
The Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards 2025
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center will host the annual Banned Book Awards at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 11, 2025, at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House. Tickets are available now. Actor Hilarie Burton Morgan will moderate the panel.
Author Margaret Atwood will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award for her iconic works such as The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments
Becky Calzada will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Literary Freedom Award for her contributions as a Texas librarian and co-founding member of Texas #FReadom Fighters.
Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison for Hair Love
Malinda Lo for Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell for And Tango Makes Three
Juno Dawson for This Book is Gay (Video acceptance speech)
John Green for Looking for Alaska (Video acceptance speech)
The keynote speech will be delivered by PEN America’s President, Jennifer Finney Boylan. The event will also feature special remarks from Cameron Samuels, Executive Director of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), and Deborah Caldwell Stone, Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation.
The Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Bravery in Literature follows three decades of the Eleanor Roosevelt Center honoring individuals who embrace her call to build a better world through humanitarian efforts in education, advocacy, social justice, and civil and human rights. Read more
FLARE Announces Call for Submissions for New E-journal
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) invites submissions to a new e-journal, FLARE’s Journal of First Ladies Studies, which is scheduled for launch early in 2026. The journal welcomes scholarly submissions based on original research on any aspect of the study of first ladies, including work that examines them within a historical context, adopts a comparative perspective, presents a theoretical approach, or offers an interdisciplinary framework for analysis in fields such as history, women’s studies, communication, sociology, political science, material culture, and historic preservation.
Inquiries about potential articles in the journal should be directed to the journal’s editor, Christopher J. Leahy, Professor of History at Keuka College, at cleahy@keuka.edu.
Select Saturdays through Oct. 18, 2025
Tales from the First Lady
Mount Vernon invites you to step back in time and join Martha Washington for a special in-person storytelling adventure at 10 a.m. on select Saturdays from July 19 through Oct. 18, 2025. Designed for children ages 4-7, this engaging 30-40 minute program offers a unique opportunity to hear a captivating children's story read aloud by Mrs. Washington herself. Young learners will have the chance to ask Mrs. Washington questions and hear fascinating snippets about her own childhood or stories about her children. Read more
Now Through Jan. 4, 2026
See Martha Washington’s “Neoclassical Swag” Quilt Top
Martha Washington’s “Neoclassical Swag” quilt top will be on view for the first time at Mount Vernon through Jan. 4, 2026. The quilt takes its name from the most prominent printed cotton border, which features elegant swags of ribbons and flowers.
This artifact is a dramatic example of her artistry as well as the needlework tradition she passed on to her granddaughter. She pieced the center section with its circular appliqués, but left it unfinished upon her death. Martha Washington's granddaughter Eliza Custis Law inherited the quilt top and finished it in 1815, as described on the original note that still accompanies it. Her descendants carefully preserved it for the next 200 years. Read more
Submit calendar items, announcements and press releases to East Wing Magazine at jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.